Baseball’s turn

Last week, I generated discussion in our softball coverage that seems to have hit home with softball fans. In many community publications, the amount of coverage given to baseball FAR outweighs that given to softball. I wonder if it is the same in other communities? Bethlehem boys: are you happy with your local coverage? Hey, these guys won a state championship! Let me know what you think … do boys get better newspaper coverage than girls?

Why this team is cool: The Bethlehem 13-year-old baseball team is the 2007 Eastern New York Babe Ruth state champions and the Central Area District Champions. Last weekend, they were among the final 68 teams still playing and competing for the Babe Ruth World Series, which will take place later this month. More than 1,000 Babe Ruth teams nationwide began their all-star tournaments at the end of June.

Big comeback: The state championship was a come-from-behind win for the visiting Bethlehem team. Down 3-2 against Saugerties in the top of the sixth inning, Bethlehem scored four runs, with the tying run coming on a suicide squeeze bunt with the bases loaded. The score was 6-3 going into the final at bat for Saugerties. The home team loaded the bases, scoring one run to make it 6-4. With two outs, bases loaded, Bethlehem pitcher Alex Bellizzi delivered the pitch and the Saugerties batter hit a looper toward Bethlehem second baseman Justin Blalock. Blalock stepped forward to field the final out of the game and was involved in a collision with the Saugerties base runner going from first to second base. The violent collision knocked both out and neither was initially moving. The ball fell loose and a Bethlehem player picked up the ball and tagged the runner out. The runner also was called for interference.

Notable: Bethlehem Town Supervisor Jack Cunningham presented certificates of achievement to each of the players and coaches on Friday. A police escort led the boys through town before they got on the Thruway bound for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament in Medford, N.J. They did not advance.